Pete Shelby of Girard watches over and coaches his son, McCoy, 8, Thursday as he tries out one of the many Star Wars-themed pinball machines collectors brought to Pinbrew Fest 2025, held at the Metroplex Expo Center in Girard through Saturday. This was the third Pinbrew Fest for Pete and the second one for McCoy. Staff photo / Brandon Cantwell

LIBERTY — Darin Kearns’s passion for pinball has been a lifelong affair.

“My dad was a pinball repairman, so he would bring home pinball games home every weekend, so since I was an adolescent,” Kearns said. “I’ve been playing pinball and video games. My earliest game was Space Invaders — the tabletop game.”

Kearns, who brought two pinball machines of his own for display and play, was just one of 300 pinball enthusiasts from across the state and nearby areas at Pinbrew Fest 2025’s opening day Thursday. The three-day event combines pinball with craft beers from breweries across Northeast Ohio, such as the Columbiana-based Birdfish Brewing Company and Modern Methods Brewing in Warren.

Pinball-themed vendors were also present, selling pinball machines and modifications for them — some of which were 3D printed.

Keith Campanelli of Canfield, who co-produced the event alongside Marvin Ortscheid of Akron, explained that while there are events like Pinbrew all across the country, they took it a step further because “craft beer and pinball go together.”

Campanelli recalled some of the hobby’s history, noting that while it has evolved up to where things are at now, there was a point where pinball was almost lost for good.

“In 2000, every single pinball manufacturer closed, except for one. Back in the day it was Black Friday for the pinball market because arcades were kicking everyone’s butt,” Campanelli said. “And then people realized after five years that arcades, you can get them on your phone — but pinball’s mechanical.”

Campanelli, who has repaired and restored pinball machines since 2010, explained that there are two miles of wires under every pinball machine — mainly servos, a device that can move to a position based on internal feedback and coils, making it mechanical over its electronics.

“It’s a physical thing; there are tournaments — there are people that go to tournaments all across the country; IFPA (International Flipper Pinball Association) is huge,” Campanelli said. “That’s one piece of the show we have returned to people over time. We have a women’s tournament, we have a kids’ tournament, and you have collectors like myself.”

That huge following inspired Campanelli and his business partner, Ortscheid, to start Pinbrew Fest five years ago.

Campanelli said their first pinball event was supposed to happen in April 2020, but they were later the first of all the shows in the country following the pandemic, beating widely populated areas like Chicago, Texas and California.

Campanelli said he was pleased with their early attendance, adding that they were putting on a show for the masses.

“We have all the local players who come out of the local community; we’re introducing pinball to young kids, families,” he said. “With all the craft beer from all these local places, we have nine breweries here this year, so there’s over 20 beers from local crafts.”

“It’s a real community thing, but it’s also a national thing,” Campanelli added. “There’s probably going to be probably 50 games brought by 50 different individuals who just want everyone else to experience the hobby.”

And Pete Shelby and his son, McCoy, are no strangers to that experience.

McCoy, 8, said he liked the Star Wars machines because they were Star Wars-themed, and he liked the gameplay.

“It’s great for our community to come out and support, between the local breweries and then all the people bringing pinball machines,” Pete Shelby, who had attended two of the previous Pinbrew Fests, said. “It’s just a great collaboration.”